The present invention is directed to paper towel dispensers, in general, and to methods and apparatus for retrofitting such dispensers, in particular.
At the present time, many types of paper towel dispensers are available and in widespread use. Some of these dispensers are designed to be mounted horizontally, while others are designed to be mounted vertically. There are several problems with these existing dispensers, particularly the vertically mounted variety. For example, the wide dispensing orifice that is found in many modern day dispensers allows the user to reach his hand into the dispenser when attempting to extract paper towels. This often results in the user pulling out more paper towels than needed, thus leading to considerable waste. In addition, there is more cleanup involved since many of these wasted paper towels are not properly discarded. Further, because a user may be able to reach and touch undispensed towels, which may be subsequently used by another, potential problems concerning cleanliness and hygiene exist.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide improved methods and apparatus for overcoming the aforementioned problems. In particular, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a retrofitted dispenser that reduces the consumption of paper towels in an efficient manner, while enhancing personal hygiene.
Further objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.